Marija
Gimbutas II
The work of
Marija Gimbutas is one of the most influential developments in gender awareness
that has ever occurred. A respected archaeologist, Gimbutas devoted
the last three decadesof
her life to an exhaustive study of the earlier Neolithic cultures inEurope.
She extensively interpreted, using cross-disciplinary techniques, artifacts
of the period in history from 6,000 to 3,500BCE.She
accomplished nothing less than to initiate a new perception of European
pre-history that challenges traditional assumptions aboutthe
origins of Western civilization. Her work struck a chord thatcontinues
to resonate within and beyond academic spheres.

When
Gimbutas was a child her mother gave her this prophesy:"You will give something
very important to the world which will keep people from becoming ill."
What Gimbutas gave was an interdisciplinaryinterpretation
of art and artifacts that substantiated a society which honored a Great
Goddess. Gimbutas claims this Goddess was nurturing, protective and
fostered a society that was basicallynon-violent,
where women were respected and involved in public as well as private life.
While this interpretation is controversial, whatGimbutas
did raise was hope and commitment among modern seekers to remember this
form of community and begin to emulate it.